Advertisers face SCB ire for tax default

Hyderabad: The Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) has launched a drive against hoardings put up on its land over non-payment of advertisement tax by the March 31 deadline. Advertisement tax is one of the main sources of income for the Cantonment Board, apart from the toll tax and water bills.
The SCB permitted private advertisement companies to display advertisements on cantonment and defence land in prime areas through e-tender process for two years.It has also allowed them to display advertisements at bus shelters.
"We have permitted 51 hoardings including 26 on defence land. The total advertisement tax works out to Rs 75 lakh. But the board received only Rs 38 lakh. We waited for a month. Since the advertisers have failed to clear the dues, we have decided to go ahead with the removal of hoardings," a senior official in SCB told TOI.
The board earlier served notices to the advertisement firms to clear the dues before March 31. But only a few of them had responded. "We have already removed 10 hoardings," he said.
Meanwhile, the board has identified about 200 illegal hoardings which have been erected without a permission.
The SCB has also permitted advertisement companies to display advertisements at 36 bus shelters located at Jubilee bus station (JBS), Trimulgherry, Marredpally, Bowenpally and other areas.